StrangeBehaviors Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 Therapy, Counseling, Psychiatry are all discussed often in various threads here. Do any regulars have formal education or degrees in the field? Ever had therapy etc. for yourself? Opinions?
nevadagirl Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 I am not trying to knock therapy by any means but my very small experience with it was not good. I was very very messed up over an ex a long long time ago. I was so desperate for help I went to see a therapist and we spent an hour talking about the kind of grades I made in high school. (I was like 26 at the time) She commented on how empty my life seemed to be when I was not in a relationship which was not exactly some magnificent revelation. I understand she was probably trying to build the groundwork or something but I was really going off the deep end and felt it was a complete waste of my time. Maybe I just didn't go to the right person. 1
hinatticus Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 I'm in counseling. For my anger issues. It's a program for domestic abuse. I know that sounds extreme but they take in all kinds of people with issues. As long as you can take a hard look at yourself it is great. I am very comfortable with my counselor. She knows that abuse is on a spectrum and not everybody should get lumped in with the worst. She recognizes that I am not completely evil and I'm willing to work on myself. At first she was pushing for the 8 month group session. I ended up doing individual and after the last session she told me I was well on the way to recovery. She listed a bunch of traits that show a person is changed. She told me I fit all if them! I'm glad she didn't consider my situation as bad as some people. Abuse really should be classified on a spectrum. Everybody could benefit from the right type of counseling. I was 100% against it at first, but now im all for it.
KathyM Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 Therapy, Counseling, Psychiatry are all discussed often in various threads here. Do any regulars have formal education or degrees in the field? Ever had therapy etc. for yourself? Opinions? I have taken several years worth of psychology and counseling courses in college, and will be getting my Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology next year. I think therapy has the potential for helping people to improve their lives if people are motivated to improve their lives. It gives people insight into their thoughts processes and their behavior, and through that, there can be positive change. It can make the difference between mental health and mental illness. I wouldn't be getting into this field if I didn't believe in it.
Feelin Frisky Posted July 21, 2012 Posted July 21, 2012 I don't have a degree. I do however have enough experience in therapy, understanding therapies, exploring medications, reading about medications, engaging with others on the subject to be quite informed on the subject. Occasionally I find myself MORE informed than mental health practitioners on some things. I have had situations where legal supplements caused harm to my brain chemistry in ways that are not routine and this faced getting help from people who had no understanding of the scenario. I had to research the contributing factors and seek help based upon what I "believed" to be th case. So in that way I may be an expert on my particular happenstance--the accidental shutting down of production of gaba-aminobutyric acid through the ingestion of GABA supplements whose withdrawal causes the trapping o biological waste output to get caught in brain cells and manifest in general anxiety disorder. I reach out and try to offer whatever help I can on threads about depression, anxiety, mental health, and the role of medicine. Anything I can do, ask.
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